Whitaker site proposal in Northeast Portland could be a model for urban farming

View full sizeThe proposal is for a temporary use of the site. Portland Public Schools has no plans to develop the site in the next five years.Larry Bingham/The Oregonian

The site of the former Whitaker Middle School, demolished in 2007, could become a national model for urban community farming if a proposal unveiled Wednesday night moves forward.

The Whitaker Community Farm project would be a temporary, 5-year use of the vacant site owned by Portland Public Schools.

Commissioner Nick Fish told about 100 people gathered for an open house at the PCC Workforce Training Center across the street from the site that many things need to happen before the idea becomes a reality.

One is community support. The site sits along the border of the Cully and Concordia neighborhoods. Some groups have said they would like to see the site, at the corner of Northeast 42nd Avenue and Killingsworth Street, become housing, commercial space, or a community center.

Three acres would be committed to a "Farm-to-School" market garden. Produce such as lettuce, kale, cherry tomatoes and cucumbers would be grown and sold to Portland Public Schools to be used in school lunches at five or six nearby schools.

The money generated would help pay operating costs. Oregon State University graduates involved in the Beginning Urban Farm Apprenticeship program would provide the labor. School children would be encouraged to take field trips to learn about growing healthy food.

Another 1.8 acres would be granted to "Community Partner Blocks." Groups and individuals would compete for the four spots with proposals. The food raised on the blocks would be sold to local restaurants or used in other ways by the community.

View full sizeCommunity members are asked to help shape the project so it best meets the needs of the surrounding neighborhoods. Roughly 100 or so people attended Wednesday night's open house.Larry Bingham/The Oregonian

The final piece would be a 1-acre "Community Farm Share," where volunteers wanting to learn farming and farm-related skills could work along OSU graduates and take home a share of the produce. Some of the food would be given to area food banks.

To get the site up and operating would cost roughly $50,000-$70,000, Miller said. The bulk of that would come in the form of donations and some money would come from the Extension Service. Other money is expected to come from grants. Public agencies, such as the Portland Water Bureau, the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services and Portland Parks & Recreation Bureau have pledged in-kind support.

"It really is an old-fashioned barn raising," Fish said. No city money is proposed other than money spent on staff working on the proposal.